The present invention pertains to a telecommunications test system that generates and executes test process capabilities. More particularly, the present invention relates to test systems that implement a test process for digital data services that speeds up the isolation process when identifying network trunks that have a degraded or non-existent capability to transmit digital data.
Present testing strategies for digital data services amount to xe2x80x9chit and missxe2x80x9d testing that proves to be relatively slow and involves a significant amount of technician test hours in order to implement troubleshooting of customer complaints. For example, test technicians have long used telephone test sets comprising a telephone handset having internal electronics designed to test telephone circuits.
Automated test capabilities for testing switched voice services have existed for many years. However, such automated test capabilities have never been expanded to the field of digital data services in a manner that is consistent with many digital products.
Presently, if a problem is reported to a telecommunications provider by a customer involving a wide band call, a craftsperson at the telecommunications provider has to test each circuit involved in the call one circuit at a time. Because there is no way to directly select the desired circuits, these circuits have to be manually busied, or filtered, out until only the desired circuit remains. However, such endeavor requires a significant amount of time and causes a loss of service that is particularly evident when a wide band call is being tested.
In order to monitor a primary rate interface (PRI) signaling link with present techniques, test equipment has to be moved around and connected directly to the circuit that needs to be monitored. However, this consumes time. Furthermore, implementation of this technique can result in errors.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved testing of digital data transfer through trunks within a network environment.
The present invention is directed towards an automated test system and method having a test process capability that enables a local or remote tester to reduce the amount of time that is required to find and fix digital data transmission facilities that are in trouble. A tester is able to direct a network switch to connect to a specific outgoing trunk in order to perform testing.
According to one aspect, a test system is provided for use with a communications network having a plurality of switches and trunks. The test system includes test circuitry, a test interface, and a test set. The test circuitry is operative to test the transmission of digital data over a selected network trunk. The test interface communicates with the test circuitry and is operative to connect the test circuitry with the selected network trunk. The test set communicates with the test circuitry and the test interface. The test set is operative to selectively connect to the network switches via the test interface. The test set includes processing circuitry, memory and a switching application program. The processor executes the application program to route a digital data call via a switch from the selected network trunk to another network trunk, and to specify a terminating circuit used to terminate the digital data call via the switch where the call is thereafter delivered. The test circuitry implements testing of the selected trunk.
According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided for testing digital data transfer within a communications network having a plurality of switches and trunks. The apparatus includes an interface and a test set. The interface is configured to couple with a selected network trunk. The test set includes test circuitry, processing circuitry, memory and a switching application program. The test circuitry is configured to test digital data transmission over the selected network trunk. The test set is operative to selectively connect with the network switches via the test interface. The processor executes the application program to transfer a digital data call with a switch from the selected network trunk to another network trunk having a terminating circuit used to terminate the digital data call via the switch where the call is thereafter delivered. The test circuitry implements testing of the selected trunk.
According to yet another aspect, a method is provided for testing network trunks within a network having a plurality of switches and trunks. The method includes the steps of: providing a test interface and a test set, the test set including test circuitry, processing circuitry, memory and a switching application program operative to route digital data calls over the network; identifying a selected network trunk via the test set; selectively connecting to the selected network trunk with an associated switch via the test interface; executing the application program to route a digital data call via the switches from the selected network trunk to a terminating circuit on another network trunk to transfer the digital data call over to the another network trunk where the call is delivered to the another network trunk; and testing the selected network trunk with the test circuitry to identify a degraded capability to transmit digital data over the selected network trunk.
One advantage is provided by the ability to eliminate xe2x80x9chit and missxe2x80x9d testing strategies by enabling direct select digital data testing and automated digital data testing over network trunks.